Ahead of the 2015 New Climate Change Agreement, CSO,s press for a Gender Sensitive Policy

By Aaron Yancho Kaa

Drawing from a multiplicity   of challenges  that women face inthe rural communities around Africa, some close to50 participants representing some civil society organizations within  the net work of the pan African Media Alliance  for climate Change talked this idea through  that a Gender Responsive Climate policy was  needed   in the new climate change Agreement to be enacted in cop 21 to take place in Paris at the end of this year, so as to give adaptation a community face in Africa.

These participants that met in a working conclave  that is holding under the theme. (Road  to  Paris,  what kind  of Agreement Do We Need) were deliberating on the challenges,successes, gaps, and recommendations for improved  responses  to climate change and the post  2015SDG,s for Africa. 

Cecilia M. Kibe, who cordinated the womens working session and who doubles  as the  cordinator of the Kenyan Climate Justice Women Champion explained that cop 18 marked a mile stone for the CC gender agenda  that presented a gate way  to a frame work that would  enhance the adequate representation of women in the CC decision making processes. "The most critical aspect  of this decision was to integrate  womens rights  and women voices in to climate change related policies and strategist".she said.

 According to Cecilia  all actions  proposed  for mitigation and adaptation need  to be gender  sensitive, which called for specific approaches to this strategist.  The participants also unanimously accepted  that  capacity  building projects and decisions had to recognize  and promote the utilization of existing gender sensitive tools and  approaches. over the years the gender sperspective of climate change  have showed that climate change is not gender neutral. women whose  abilities  rotate around the famlies and farms have had to deal with alot of impact more than their husbands and men.  

 "women are often home when the impacts  of climate change strike. As such they face the daughting challenges"..Cecilia echoed. when the soils become too barren the women labor on the farmfields lacking time  for an education, to  learn a trade and to be part of decision making she elaborated . 

After a thorough exchange of country opinions and experience these PACJA-CSO representatives wished that by mainstreaming gender in all mitigation and adaptation issues and policies, the affected  communities  were  going to adequately and timely response to the challenges posed by Climate changes  across the Continent.